The Hunter
by Jon Ruddin
Summary: Derek, son of Apollo is granted a wish to never miss a shot. After many years of training and assassinating he is given the task to kill one demigod. Percy Jackson. A Post BOO story. Involves most characters, plus a couple of my own ones. Rated T because I'm not sure how the violence will go. I'll try my best to keep it clean.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own any of Rick Riordans work! All Percy Jackson Characters are his and his original story! The only things I own are my own characters and story!**

Chapter 1: 10:34 am

 **Derek POV**

Derek knew they were following him. They had come in so many different forms, it seemed nearly impossible to know that they were all the same. But he knew it. He didn't know completely _how_ he knew, but he did. It had been a few months of running and they persistently followed him.

Ducking into an alleyway, he hoped that they hadn't noticed. The men in large trench coats walked by without a second glance. He breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn't noticed him, finally he could have a moments rest.

Sitting down on the dirty ground, Derek pulled out the small token. It was silver, with a symbol of a bow and arrow on one side an a harp on the other. Strange writing was all around it as well; he tried for weeks before finally giving it up to read it.

Studying it, Derek hoped he could find something in it, something new, something that would tell him what it was and why it wouldn't go away. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of it. When he threw it away, it would reappear in his pocket. Once, he had stuck it under a bin, but it came up again. The thing just wouldn't go away.

 _Maybe it's magic,_ he thought to himself. He hadn't really believed in magic, till this happened. It was two years ago, and it seemed like only yesterday.

"Isss he gone?" hissed a voice close to him. Derek leapt to his feet, expecting a fight. Right away, he ducked behind a bin; there were two figures in trench coats. Their wide brimmed hats fell over their faces, so nobody could see whom they were. Derek knew them though, they had been his constant fight for the last two years.

"I'm not sssure," replied the other. "He might be here… but he is trickseyyyy, that one." Derek knew he had no time to waste. Slowly standing up, he inched his way to the other side of the alley. If they saw him in here, it could be the end.

"Well we better getsss him," snapped the first. "If he makesss it to _him_ then itssss all over." Derek was only half listening, but he caught the phrase. _All over?_ For whom?

Before he could think of any rational option, the second held a gloved hand in the air. Derek winced. Under that glove was a claw, which had cut him many times.

"He issss here," said the one excitedly. "I can smell him." Derek wasn't able to comprehend the whole _smell_ thing. Apparently, he really stunk. One thing was for sure; he needed to get out of here.

Edging along the brick wall, Derek had almost made it out when they both turned, with eyes fixed upon him. "There he isss!" they both cried excitedly. Throwing off both their trench coats, they showed their true selves. Two of the most hideous creatures Derek had ever seen, with long green tentacle feet and hair, they advanced with their crazed red eyes. Claws outstretched, the monsters slithered up to him. Wasting no time, Derek did a double take around and ran down the alley.

Right in front of him though, there was another pair that looked exactly the same. Their blazing eyes looked eagerly at him, like they knew it was over. Unfortunately, Derek had a feeling that they were right.

Suddenly, a strange vibration started coming from his pocket. It was the coin. Derek grabbed it out of instinctively and held it up. The coin began to morph and change before his eyes, until he was holding a wooden bow and arrow. Without a second hesitation, he drew back the string and shot. It was probably the worst shot in the world, but somehow the arrow redirected its path and hit the monster square in-between the eyes. With a howl, the beast began to disintegrate. The other looked completely stunned, but kept approaching. Derek felt an arrow pop into his hand. Drawing the bow back, he let another arrow fly. This shot was a bit better, but not by much. Again, the arrow redirected its path and hit the creature. He whipped around and found that the other two were way to close to shoot.

"Die!" they both shouted at once. Panic overtook him and he froze.

"Watch out!" called a voice behind him. Without a moment's hesitation, Derek ducked. Two arrows whizzed by his head at once, striking both the monsters. Two wails echoed through the alleyway as they both crumbled into dust.

"That was close," said the voice again. "You guys never seem to be without trouble. I guess your problem is my fault, really." Derek turned around to find a teenage boy standing in front of him. But this wasn't like anybody that Derek had ever seen. He was wearing a toga, like one would see in a painting. A dark grey bow was in his hands. The guys looked like a model archer, but the weird thing was, he was wearing RayBands.

"Who are you?" Derek asked. The teenager lowered his bow and slung it around his back.

"Apollo, god of archery, poetry, oracles, the sun, and every other awesome thing you can think of." Derek didn't know whether to laugh or to run. Apollo took off his RayBands and his golden eyes glinted.

"You don't believe me?" he asked. Derek suddenly saw a fire in the man's eye. Like he was about to challenge him or something. Derek didn't really want to make any bets with a guy who could take out two monsters with one shot. Apollo held his eyes for a few more seconds, then put the RayBands back on.

"I thought so," he said calmly. "Now that that's done, we can discuss that little coin you've got there." Derek looked at the coin in his palm.

"You want _this_?" he asked. Apollo smiled.

"Yeah I want that," he said. "Its my bow." Derek was about to say, _wait? You've already got one._ When the coin suddenly flew out of his hands and into Apollo's. Instantly the coin morphed into a bow, but this one was much different. It was pure gold and carried a bright glow. The arrows in the quiver had little tips of dark bronze on them.

" _This_ is my bow," he said. "I had to keep it with you for a bit, while a certain thing was going on." Derek felt a million questions pop up into his head, but for some reason, he couldn't say a word.

"I mean," Apollo said. "This bow is pretty cool, but it's not really my type." He took the one off his back and tossed it to Derek. The moment it touched his hands, it became a ring.

"Tell me if you want it changed," Apollo said. "I know it's not really your thing, but you could get used to it."

"Wait? How do you know anything about me?" Derek finally sputtered. Apollo stepped foreword.

"I know everything about you," he said. "Being the god of the future and everything. But aside from all that awesome stuff, I know you because I'm your dad."

"Yeah right!" Derek retorted. Instantly, tons memories poured into his head. He never had a dad, just his mom who wouldn't tell him anything about his dad or that side of the family. Archery had always fascinated him and for some strange reason, there was always random haiku's all over the place.

"Anything else?" asked Apollo. "It would be so cool to continue."

"What are you?" asked Derek. "Some kind of athlete?"

"No, no, no," Apollo said waving his hands. "Though, it would be cool to add… Maybe if Artimis talked dad into it…"

"Isn't Artemise some kind of goddess from Greece?" asked Derek. Apollo brightened.

"You're heading on the right track! I knew you inherited some intelligence!"

"But if your sister's a Greek goddess, then you must be…"

"A Greek god! I know! It's super cool right?" Apollo opened his palm and a piece of paper appeared. He held it up and cleared his throat.

 _For your winning deed,_

 _Awesome Apollo now degrees,_

 _A wish to Derek._

Derek didn't know what to think, except. "Isn't _degrees_ two syllables!" Apollo looked completely puzzled.

"You're right, that's terrible… I'll write a second draft later. But anyway, let's get to the wishing."

"Wishing?" asked Derek.

"Yeah, didn't hear it right? A _single_ wish from dad to son, like a birthday present. Except from a super awesome and cool god like me."

"So, I can wish for anything?" Derek asked curiously. Apollo brought out an eraser and started scratching at his paper.

"Sure, as long as it's in my power. And just warning you that does _not_ include: raising people from the dead, telling the future, or making you immortal. Dad was really fired up last time I did any of those." Derek thought hard. He could ask for anything. Looking at his newly earned bow, he suddenly thought of something.

"I do want something," he said. Apollo dropped his eraser.

"Wow, that's fast. You have no idea how long other demigods take to find one. So, what is it? Shoot."

"Make me able to never miss a single shot," Derek said slowly. "With this bow." If Derek thought that Apollo looked confused earlier, this time he looked as if he was trying to recite PI in his head.

"And why do you ask that?" asked Apollo, taking off his RayBands.

"I want to be protected," Derek said. "If monsters will keep coming, then I need to be able to fight." Apollo threw his hands in the air.

"All right, this is in my power. And if this is what you really want…"

"It is," Derek said confidently.

"Then I now bestow upon you the archers blessing," Apollo said. "As long as you shoot with this bow, you will never miss your target." Derek didn't feel any different or anything, but he had a feeling it worked.

"And also, this bow can change shape or color," Apollo said as the bow turned completely black. "It will be pretty sweet actually." Suddenly, there was a rumble in the sky. Apollo looked up nervously.

"That's my que dude," he said. "Remember to practice archery even if you do have my blessing. And don't aim for things by accident. And give a wave at the sun sometime."

"What?" asked Derek. The first two had made sense, but the last…

"Got to go!" Apollo called. "Cover your eyes." Derek immediately did. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the light hitting him. When he opened his eyes, Apollo was gone.

 **If you're wondering when the PJ characters are going to come in. Don't worry, they'll be here soon.**

 **\- Ruddin**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey Guys! This is a pretty short chapter but number three will be on the way soon...  
Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Four Years Later…

 **Derek POV**

It had been the most brutal few months of his life, but he survived. Now, he had a different name. One that everyone knew him as, even demigods. Orion The Hunter was to be feared and for good reason. He couldn't miss a shot.

Climbing on top of the brick building, he drew his compound bow. A combination of the modern and ancient world was all that he needed. It was the perfect combination. Vials of Greek fire were belted around his waist. A quiver of silver arrows were around his back covered with tips of metal, silver and Celestial Bronze.

Doing a quick check of his surroundings, Derek pulled a silver arrow and set it on his bow. The street below him was completely empty, which was a good thing. Derek didn't trust the Mist. He was never sure if it would work correctly.

Scanning the ground, Derek saw his target, a lone werewolf running at full speed. Derek's last experience with them had not been well. His shoulders and arms were still stiff and sore from where their claws had penetrated. It was good that there was only one this time.

Aiming down he sights, he held his breath. Even though he couldn't miss, he still liked to be as accurate as possible. _One… Two… Three…_

 **Werewolf's POV**

 _Keep running,_ thought the man. Gaea had fallen and the werewolves had been on the run ever since. He had to escape. Many of his kin were already gone. The Huntress would not relent. She and her maids would keep coming as long as werewolves were alive.

And there was other news as well, rumors that made him shiver. The Hunter was back and someone was paying him to hunt werewolves. A few days earlier, there had been new of him attacking a pack. Thankfully, they had fended him off, but not without devastating loses.

 _Just keep moving,_ he told himself. _Just keep–._ All thoughts left him as he felt a sting under right front leg. Something was embedded inside, a silver arrow.

The world became a blur around him as he tried to move. Stumbling, he landed face first into the street. The pain had subsided, but he knew it was the end. He could no longer feel anything. Looking up for the last time, he saw a black figure on the rooftop. _Orion._

 **Derek POV**

The werewolf staggered for a bit, but fell to the ground and melted like a shadow. It was clean kill. Derek congratulated himself. That would be a total of one hundred werewolf kills. The job was over. His bow morphed around in his hand, until it became a golden ring.

Pulling out a new cell phone, Derek punched in the number. A brief second passed by then a voice called, "Hello?"

"Job's over," Derek said. "One hundred werewolf have made a one way trip to Tartarus. Now, I need a ride back.

"On it," replied a female voice. "We'll pick you up in five." Derek didn't even bother to say anything else, but threw the phone away. The monsters would soon be coming, following his scent. And Derek didn't feel like fighting any more than he had too.

Dropping to his knees, Derek rolled is shoulders, trying to loosen them up. They had been sliced pretty badly, and even though he had done his best, he figured that she would still want to have a look at them.

 _How did she know where I was?_ Thought Derek for second. Then he remembered, the tracking device. She had stuck to him when he had headed out. It was all for back up, in case of an emergency – or at least – that's what she told him. But he had suspicion that she no longer trusted him. Maybe he needed to disappear for a bit, it helped him keep his mind in the right place.

Just then, a huge van drove and stopped in front of him. In the front seat was a middle-aged man who stared blankly at the road ahead of him. _The deal with the Hecate boy had worked then_ , thought Derek.

Climbing into the van, he rolled aside a curtain, which doubled as the back of the van. Inside was a small table and chair. Shelves around the walls were loaded with all sorts of bottles and needles. A small screen was on the right, and drawers were beneath it. At the end of the van was a miniature fridge. Sitting on the table was a seventeen-year-old girl. Her long auburn hair was tied in ponytail and her stormy gray eyes were fixed upon a sleek apple laptop. She wore a white lab-coat and blue skinny-jeans.

"You'd think that thing would get boring after awhile," Derek groaned. The girl looked up from her laptop. Adjusting the rims of her glasses she smirked, "Orion, I doubt you would even know how to turn this thing on."

"I can do more than that Leah," Derek said smiling. "I can send a email."

"Haha," Leah said sarcastically closing the laptop. "Well, somebody's got to collect all the payments. Now sit down and we'll see what damage you've done to yourself this time."

"I did have ambrosia," Derek mentioned. "It's not like I have open wounds or anything."

"Just lie down," Leah commanded. Derek did as he was told. Even though he would never admit it, he did appreciate her taking care of him. Taking off his shirt, he laid on his stomach. It had been awkward the first few times, but now it just seemed like routine.

He felt her trace her finger over the new scabs on his shoulders and arms. "I assume _he_ has already paid for the kills," Derek said. Leah didn't answer him.

"Orion," she said sternly. "How much ambrosia did you actually bring?"

"Apparently not enough," he joked. She didn't take it so well.

" _I'm_ packing your ambrosia and nectar next time," she said sharply.

"I hardly use it anyways," Derek muttered.

"And that's why you have all these," said Leah motioning to his multiple scars. Derek saw her point, though he would never admit it. Leah was pretty smart, being an Athena girl and all.

"Take these," Leah said handing him some ambrosia squares. "Not to fast, remember."

"I know," grumbled Derek. She sounded like his mom, which wasn't a good thing. The squares tasted like apples, like the ones he would eat at his grandparent's house

"Your scabs are fading," Leah examined. "Which is good, you'll need to be ready very soon." Derek chuckled a bit.

"Why? Do I have a new mission already?"

"Actually, you do," Leah said. "And he's willing to pay ten thousand dollars and five thousand drachmas." Derek sat bolt upright.

"Ten thousand dollars and five thousand drachmas…" he thought aloud. Leah nodded. "That's…"

"Enough to upgrade everything: your weapons, this truck, my computer. We would have enough to lay low for like a year or two." Derek knew that if he wanted to have a partially normal life, he would need to get this job done.

"What is it?" he asked. "What do I need to break into? What would I need to steal?" Leah laughed, which was a little strange.

"That's what's funny," she said. "You don't have to do anything like that. It's actually really simple."

"What is it?" repeated Derek. "I'll do it, whatever it is."

"Just one kill," Leah said. "A demigod named Percy Jackson."

 **Please review and tell me what you think!  
\- Ruddin**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey Guys!**

 **DISCLAIMER - I do not own any of Rick Riordan's characters or original story! I only own my characters and plot.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

"That's it?" he asked in disbelief. "No strings attached?" A single demigod wasn't that hard to deal with. Leah went over and grabbed her laptop.

"Look at the email and decide for yourself," she said. "It's all here: no bugs or hacks. I've already checked." Derek took the laptop and examined the laptop. The email read,

 _Hunter, We have heard of your work and would like to give you a new challenge. The demigod named Percy Jackson dead, and in return we will reward you with 10,000 mortal dollars plus 5,000 drachmas._

 _Yours to keep in contact,_

 _T_

"T?" asked Derek. "Who is 'T'?"

"We've got a couple of options," Leah said. "One is Tantalus, who tried to cause havoc on Percy. He resides in the underworld as far as I know. The other is more likely, Tartarus." Derek shivered slightly when he heard the name. Tartarus was far from a pretty place and he figured the god was the same.

"Tartarus?" asked Derek. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Leah let out a loud sigh.

"Orion, who cares who its from? This is $15,000 in mortal and god money." Derek had to admit it, this could well possibly be their big break.

"But wait?" Derek said. "This can't be that easy. How do we know that he'll pay for it? I could get into some serious trouble and receive nothing."

"They've given us some already," Leah said. "500 drachmas and 1000 dollars to be exact. And if he'll give us that much already, then he must have something."

"There still must be a catch," Derek said. "I mean, who is this demigod?" Leah grabbed the laptop again.

"I've done my research," she said. "And I have something for you to read while we drive." Derek groaned. Reading wasn't his specialty. But it was necessary to know his target.

"Later," he said. "I need to shower right now." Leah wrinkled her nose.

"I can tell," she said. "Which is why we're pulling up to a hotel right now." Derek sighed in relief.

"Thank me later," Leah said standing up. Derek stood up as well. He was a good half-foot taller than her. At 17, most people thought he looked older, which was fine with him. A minute of awkward silence passed between them before Leah said, "I'll check on you after."

The hot water was incredible and felt like heaven. Derek didn't really want to get out, but Leah would probably shut it off it he didn't.

He changed into some sweat pants and a white T-shirt. Stepping out, he found Leah on her laptop. Did she ever get off that thing?

"This is for your good," she explained. "I'm setting all our info right now. Your name is Clark and mine is Jules. We're brother and sister and we're traveling with our father."

"Clark? Really?" Derek said. Leah stuck out her tongue.

"I could always do worse you know," she said. "Like, Charley or Jim."

"Please don't do either," Derek said, defeated. Leah smirked.

"Anyway, we should be good till tomorrow afternoon. On the nightstand is everything I could get so far." Derek looked and saw a stack of papers on the stool. This was only what she had dug up in the past few hours? Who was this guy?

"I suggest you get started," she said closing her laptop. "Because, I've got some resting to do."

"Rest?" smirked Derek. "Like you ever do any work?" Leah gave a mischievous smile.

"You never know."

Derek flopped on his bed, and glazed over the paper. It was single-spaced. He would never be able to get through this entire thing. But if he didn't he might slip up and this job was too important for that.

Starting on the first page he read. _Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon is known for his saving of Olympus twice. From both Kronos and Gaea._

Whoa, thought Derek. This wasn't going to be as easy as he planned. His dad was an Olympian, what would he think if his son murdered a hero?

 _He doesn't care,_ came the retaliation. _Your father only showed up once._ Derek nodded is head to himself. Apollo was the worst father ever, who cared what he thought. Derek continued to read. _Percy Jackson is currently dating Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena and currently resides at Camp Half-Blood…_

Derek woke up next morning with his head in the papers. He remembered reading it all, but the last few paragraphs had been a bit fuzzy. The door creaked open.

"Orion," called Leah. "Are you even dressed yet?" Derek sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"What is it? Six o-clock or something?"

"No _prettyboy_. It's eight."

"Do you have to call me that?" he grunted. Every since Leah had discovered his godly parent, it was her nickname for him. He had tried to come up with a few, but none really matched as well.

"You better start moving," she suggested. "Breakfast only lasts so long in hotels." The last sentence made him move immediately. Throwing off his blankets he rummaged through the bag Leah had given him the night before: a pair of jeans and a green T-shirt. He quickly grabbed everything and headed to the bathroom. He had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

"I thought you said I could sleep in," he complained as they both sat down to eat. Leah looked him over quickly.

"Change of plans," she said. "I found something about our target. He is now in California, San Francisco to be precise."

"I thought he was in New York," challenged Derek. "I mean, the whole Camp Half-Blood thing…"

"He's in college right now," Leah replied. "At Camp Jupiter." The name rang a small bell in his head. It must have been on the last few pages.

"That's the Roman kind, right?" he asked. Leah rolled her eyes.

"It's the Roman perspective of all the gods," she said. "Some are similar, while others are completely different."

"Like Athena?" asked Derek. Leah face paled the smallest bit, but she recovered quickly and explained.

"Yes, she was replaced by Minerva, and was stripped of every warrior aspect." There was a hint of bitterness in her voice. Derek didn't know whether to feel bad, or to feel anything. Leah didn't talk about Athena a lot; she probably had the same problems as he did. They didn't really discuss them though. They were both business and nothing else. Still, Derek did feel like she was a little annoying sister, in some ways.

"So we just go there then," he said folding his arms. "Simple."

"It's a lot different actually," Leah snapped. "The Romans are a little more protective of their camp. They've got an army sitting right outside. You're going to have a hard time." Derek yawned.

"Nothing I can't handle," he said tapping the little golden ring on his finger. Leah narrowed her eyes.

"You can't trust that to work all the time, you know." She said. "One of these days, it will stop working."

"Then I'll use all that training _he_ taught me," Derek said. "The kind that gave me this," he lifted up his arm. A symbol of a coiled snake was branded onto his forearm. Behind the head of the snake was a bunch of grapes. Leah's face darkened quickly.

"Even so," she said carefully. "You can't be too careful."

"Are you actually concerned for me?" asked Derek in a mocking tone. Leah punched his arm

"Don't be ridiculous," she said. But Derek wasn't so sure.

 **I hope you enjoyed this! Remember to comment and tell me what you think! Also, PJ characters will show up sometime soon.**

 **\- Ruddin**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey Guys!**

 **Just warning, if you haven't read BOO, then don't read this. It contains spoliers.**

 **Anyway, Enjoy!**

Chapter 4:

Derek spent most of the trip in the back of the van, double-checking everything that he would be using. Leah had made some pretty cool gadgets; mixing both magic and modern technology.

Derek strapped on the green vials and secured the tops. He would blow halfway to the moon if these went off. Next, he went to his quiver, which was his favorite. The bottom could rotate and attach any type of tip he wanted: from silver, to iron, to Celestial Bronze. The arrows were always white. He made sure of that. Another cool feature about the quiver was that it could morph into a backpack at will.

Two long thin hunting knives were strapped to his thighs and a throwing knife was in his boot. He pulled them all out on the table and cleaned them. He could remember his master commanding him to always clean his knives. _A dirty knife means a dirty kill,_ echoed the sharp phrase in his mind.

Leah walked in as Derek finished strapping on the last of the knives. She looked him over quickly. "You did put on the wet-coat, right?" Derek's mind went blank.

"What?" he asked. Leah rolled her eyes. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"Remember? The one I just bought?" Derek still didn't remember. After all, she did buy a lot of things, how was he supposed to remember them all?

Leah stooped down and rummaged through the drawers. She finally pulled out a thin green long-sleeved shirt.

"I bought this from the Cyclops last time. Here," she said tossing it to him. Derek caught it and gasped. The thing weighed a ton. It felt like it was soaking in water.

"Oh! Forgot!" Leah exclaimed. "You've got to keep it moving or else it will be heavy." Moving it around, he found that she was right. It felt lighter than a feather. Derek slipped it on with ease and suddenly it felt a whole lot heavier.

"It'll stop most bullets and arrows," Leah said examining it. "Which is good, because we don't know entirely what's coming with this camp." Derek raised an eyebrow.

"You mean you didn't do any research?" he said crossing his arms. "I find that hard to believe." Leah let out a hiss of frustration.

"I _tried_ ," she said. "But camp Jupiter is literally off the charts. It's not anywhere on the web, or even in books."

"So, its like nonexistent?" asked Derek.

"Pretty much," replied Leah. "The only guy who found it was a son of Hephaestus, a guy named Leo Valdez."

"And there isn't much on him either?" asked Derek. Leah shook her head.

"I don't know a lot about his life. Rumor has it that he died last year. Apparently he destroyed Gaea in the process.

Demigods are pretty much nonexistent in the mortal world, which is a good thing for them, but–"

"A bad thing for us," ended Derek. She nodded.

"Anyway," she said. "Its best to be prepared for everything, to always have a plan."

"Now that sounds like Athena," grumbled Derek. Leah must have not heard him, or ignored it because she didn't respond.

"The 'wet-coat' will keep you safe, for the most part. And did you take off your tracker? It's not on my computer any more."

"I don't want you following me!" protested Derek. "I'll be fine on my own."

"This is different. I need to keep an eye on you. Especially if I can't get in myself." Derek slumped down on the table. He never won arguments, which might have also been a good thing at the same time. Unfortunately, Apollo hadn't given him the battle plan blessing.

Suddenly, the van jolted to a halt. "We're here," Leah said. "Might as well go take a look." They both climbed out of the car into the evening air. Derek looked out to see a two highways go into two different tunnels. In the middle was a cement wall jutting out, with a metal door blocking it. Realization hit him and his moral dropped. The whole place must be in a valley, and the only way to get in, as far as he could see, was the metal door. A door that happened to be guarded by two kids in armor.

The thought gave him remorse. Derek didn't really want to kill any more demigods than he had too. They were like family, in a sense. After all, they were all related. But if it was in his way…

"Before you start to make some _irrational_ plan where you storm in like the cavalry," Leah said. "I think I have an idea."

"You always have an idea," Derek grumbled again. "Let's just hope this works."

"Oh it will," Leah said calmly. "It's a plan worthy of Athena."

(Next Day)

 **Percy's POV**

At the moment, Percy felt that _he_ needed a plan worthy of Athena, or at least of Annabeth. Midterms were approaching and Percy was finding himself at a dead end. It wasn't like he hadn't studied or anything, it was just that the books didn't agree with him.

If it were Marine Biology, great, it would be a snap. Oceanography? Sure, no problem. But to get a degree you had to take _other_ subjects. Subjects like Greek and Latin, because you had to be able to write down things in that language. Other demigods needed to be able to understand one's work.

Right now, Percy felt like they should just keep the language English. He had been forced to endure it already, _why not use that?_ Annabeth would normally help him out, but she was in a lecture right now and would be for quite awhile. Engineering seemed like a time consuming subject, in Percy's opinion at least. But Annabeth enjoyed it, and that was all that mattered.

 _I need to step outside,_ Percy concluded. _Yeah, that's it._ He stood up and threw his books into his backpack. Throwing the bag over his shoulders, he thought _is it just me? Or are these books getting heavier?_

Looking around the hall, he noticed that the rest of the demigods had their heads buried in their books, which was what he should be doing. But he had to get fresh air, the room felt stuffy.

Walking out of the room, he entered into the hall. Being in a Roman college was in pretty interesting. The architecture itself was amazing and the dorms weren't half bad either. A few kids walking through, noticed him and stepped aside a little bit. Percy smiled. When you were a praetor, people usually showed some respect; even if you were a _former_ praetor.

Stepping outside, Percy immediately felt better. Maybe it was because he could feel the River Tiber flowing around him. Or just that he could see the sunlight. After Tartarus, just being in the sunlight was reassuring.

He shuddered. That was all behind him, what was in front of him was the future: his relationship with Annabeth, college in New Rome and simply living a peaceful life.

Looking out across the field of Mars, Percy saw the huge wooden barracks. As long as the barracks was up, Camp Jupiter was safe. And even then, there was Terminus to think about…

"Hey! Percy!" called a familiar voice. Percy turned around to see Frank walking towards him. It seemed incredible how much someone could change in a year. Frank looked bigger, which was saying a lot considering how much he had changed already. He now wore the purple cape of the praetor, which had a dozen or so medals on it.

"Shouldn't you be studying?" asked Frank. "I mean, it is midterms…"

"Shouldn't you be at the _barracks,_ " challenged Percy good-naturally. "I mean, with all those soldiers under your command and all." Frank laughed.

"Reyna's taking care of them just fine," he said. "Even praetors have to take breaks some time."

"Then that's what I'm on," Percy decided. "A break."

"I guess that answers my question then," grinned Frank. "You want to get something to eat?" It wasn't exactly lunchtime, but Percy was hungry and Frank was buying…

"Sure," he replied. "Where too?" Frank pointed to a small open air restaurant.

"Apparently, they have really good Pottage."

"What's that?" asked Percy. Frank shrugged.

"Not sure, but its supposedly good. Apparently, it was popular in Old Rome."

"Well, I'm feeling adventurous," Percy grinned. "So I'll give it a shot."

As they walked down the street, Percy couldn't help but notice the differences around him. He had already been here for a few months, but at the pace the builders were working at, it seemed unbelievable. Over by the lake, he could see new temples under construction. New demigods were all over the place, some from minor gods he had never even heard of.

"How do you deal with it all?" he murmured. Frank must have heard him because he answered with a loud sigh.

"Sometimes, I don't even know. I mean, the exchanges are great, to see Jason, Piper and Nico again, it's awesome. But it can be work sometimes as well, especially with all these new recruites." Percy felt a little awed at him. Frank had _changed_ a lot.

"I'm glad my days of that are over," he thought aloud. Frank turned, surprised.

"You mean you won't help me out after college?" Percy stopped. He hadn't been thinking about it, he was just taking it one day at a time. Getting over everything he had been through recently had been trying enough. Was he ready to even go back into that? Training new demigods for quests seeing them come back dead or alive…

"Sorry," Frank said looking down. "I didn't mean to have expectations…"

"No Frank," Percy said. "It's fine. I was actually kind of thinking about it." Frank lit up.

"Really?"

"You didn't expect me to just let you and Reyna keep an eye on everyone, did you?"

"We do have Legatus' you know." Percy punched his arm good-naturally.

"Then I'll just clean up the bathrooms and let you two have all the fun."

"What?" Frank asked blankly.

"Just a joke," Percy replied. He looked up at the hills surrounding them. The more he thought about it, the better idea it seemed. It would be fun to train new kids. Maybe he should come to the barracks for a couple of days during this week…

Suddenly, his eyesight narrowed to a lone figure on the hill. He blinked and it was gone.

"Frank," he asked abruptly. "Does anyone go up there?"

"Are you kidding?" joked Frank. "It's like climbing Mount Everest, except _way_ hotter."

"Never mind," Percy said. "I thought I just saw something, or someone up there. It probably the sun messing with my sight." Frank chuckled.

"I doubt any monster would travel up _there._ It's too high, and even if they do, how'd they get into New Rome without being seen?"

"Yeah," Percy agreed. "It's kind of stupid."

"Anyway," Frank said. "Lets forget all of this and eat some Pottage." Percy readily agreed.

 **As usual, please review and tell me what you think!**

 **\- Ruddin**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey Guys!**

 **Sorry, this chapter is pretty short. But the next will be longer, promise...**

 **DISCLAIMER - I do not own any of Rick Riordan's Work! Just my own stuff...**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

 **Derek POV**

Derek watched as both his target and his friend disappeared into the marble restaurant. He picked up the newly bought cell phone. "You're getting all this Leah?"

"Like I wouldn't," came the sharp reply. "It seems that our target has many friends here."

"Like a _praetor_?" snapped Derek. "This job is seeming to get more complicated each day."

"Don't loose hope," Leah said. "Like I said, I have a plan."

"Let's hope you do," chuckled Derek. In reality, he knew she did. Leah probably didn't even brush her teeth without a backup.

"Come down here and I'll start filling you in. I've seen everything I need to see." Derek did as he was told and started to scamper down the hill.

It had taken him nearly all morning to get up there. They had spent the night in the city, under different names. It took an hour to get to the camp and nearly three to get to the spot he had been at. But it was worth it. The mountains seemed to be the only way to get into the camp.

It seemed the Romans had a lot of faith in the mountains. But what they didn't know was that it wasn't a monster trying to get up, it was a demigod.

Leah was waiting for him in the van. Derek had a bit of trouble finding it, but eventually he stumbled right into it. On their last trip to New York, Leah had made another deal with the Hecate boy and now their van had the Mist covering it.

"Did you have enough time to come up with something reasonable?" asked Derek brushing himself off.

"Believe it or not," Leah said typing. "I do more than watch chick flicks on here."

"Oh, I believe that all right," Derek answered sitting down. "So what's the plan?" Leah clicked a button and what she was viewing on the laptop was projected onto a small screen on the side of the van. Camp Jupiter was pictured from the position Derek had been in. Leah had forced him to bring a camera with him. It was small and easy to carry, but it wasn't Derek's style.

"Before I spell it all out to you," she said. "There are some things you need to know. I managed to contact a few old friends and I've finally got some information on the Romans."

"You mean, _inside_ the camp?" he asked. Leah raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe," she said slyly. "But listen up, we've got some ground to cover." Derek didn't say anymore. It was one of those times, where he just let her talk. Interruptions usually frustrated Leah and left him with more questions.

"First off, things have been a little hectic here. Apparently, they've made some new some changes in leadership."

"The guy our target was talking to was defiantly someone in charge," he said. That was a rule in this business. You never called your kill his or her name. It was referred to as 'our target'. Assassins were not supposed to develop attachments to anybody, especially the target. "And what do you mean by hectic?"

"When Gaea arose," Lean explained. "The Romans had a guy who almost took over. A son of Apollo named Octavian." Derek frowned slightly. The only other son of Apollo he had meat had not ended well. Involving a fight and a death.

"They have two praetors," Leah said changing the subject. "One recently moved here. The other has been there a long time, and she knows what she's doing." The screen changed to a picture of a buff Asian guy. He had close cropped black hair and a bit of a chubby face. The picture had a white background and seemed almost like a mug shot to Derek.

"Meet praetor one, Frank Zhang, child of Mars. He was moved up after the war with Gaea, apparently he has some power over the dead, or fallen soldiers at least."

"Great," sighed Derek. Children of Hades were a little hard to pin down. They shadow- traveled, carried Stygian iron, create monsters and could even raise entire legions at will.

"Don't worry about him," Leah said. "It's the child of Bellona you need to be concerned with."

"Isn't that like the half-Athena goddess?" asked Derek. Leah sighed, obviously frustrated.

"She does have attributes of Athena," Leah explained. "But she's a Roman goddess, really." The screen changed to a teenage girl. She had black hair and obsidian eyes. Her expression was stern and commanding, she was defiantly a leader.

"Meet praetor two, Reyna Ramierz-Arellano, daughter of Bellona. She's been praetor for nearly four years and nearly everybody looks up to her. The only known power of hers is to give energy to her troops that she is commanding."

"Like a healer?" asked Derek. Leah rolled her eyes.

"You play to many video-games."

"I do not!" exclaimed Derek. "I only did before…"

"Well, to answer the question. No, she cannot _heal_ people. Only give them energy, two very different things. But anyway, if you were planning to take on the legion, you'd want to start with her first." The scene changed again. They were back to the beginning picture, only this time; it was during his last few minutes there.

"It's a little spaced out," Leah said. "But I can zoom in." Instantly, the scene changed. Derek was now looking at a big building. The target was walking out of it.

"From what I can see," Leah said. "It looks like he was just coming out of a school of some kind."

"Because of the backpack?" noted Derek.

"Partially," Leah said. "And also because of this." She moved the picture upward. Above the target was words inscribed on the doorframe. At vivere est discere. Derek hadn't been very good in languages. But he knew that Leah had already translated it.

"To Live is to Learn," she said. "It seems to be the motto of this college." So, thought Derek. The target went to college. But what did that mean exactly?

"It means that he won't be around his praetor friends all the time," Leah answered.

"Can you always read my mind?" asked Derek. She smirked.

"Most of the time," she said switching to another picture. This time, Derek saw a huge marble house. In front of it was a statue of a man, waist up. The problem was, he seemed to be moving.

"But this is what I'm really worried about," she said. "This is Terminus, the god of boundaries. He protects a certain area called the Pomerian line. And just to let you know, there are no weapons allowed in the Pomerian line."

"And that's where our target lives," Derek said. Leah nodded. He stretched himself with a yawn. "Alright, so it looks like I have a lot of obstacles." Leah shrugged.

"You could say that. But remember, I have a plan that will make this a clean kill."

"I've hope you've done all the research," Derek said. Leah lowered her glasses.

"And when have I ever _not_ done all the research?"

 **Hope you guys enjoyed that. Next chapter will involve Percy and Annabeth and it will be longer!**

 **Also! Please review and tell me what you think!**

 **\- Ruddin**

 **A/N: Just want to say thanks to all those who have made this a favorite and followed this story!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey Guys!**

 **Here is my promised chapter!**

 **If your wondering, I will be trying to update as much as I can, but with summer here it will be harder. I'll try and update at least once a week!**

Chapter 6:

 **Annabeth POV**

Annabeth finished her assignments early, so she had a little time on her hands. She could head back to the dorm and work on the designs for Mount Olympus or continue on her studying. But she hadn't really seen Percy much the past few days, so she figured she was due a visit.

It wasn't like their relationship was falling apart or anything. She was just busy. With all the time she was spending in classes for engineering and architecture, she couldn't do much else.

Annabeth really enjoyed everything about it, except for that fact that it left her little time elsewhere. Percy didn't say much about it, but she could tell he was a little down. But what was she supposed to do? Drop classes?

Collecting her books, Annabeth started toward the library. A few books were due, plus she needed to pick up some as well. The next semester required a few and she wanted to be the first to get them.

Staring at the walls around her, she thought about how nice it was here. Everything about the college was appealing to a daughter of Athena: outstanding architecture, stockpiles of books and dozens of computer programs.

Plus, she could work with a peace in her mind. A peace that: no monsters would come charging in, no prophecies would involve her, and she could live her life with ease. After all she and Percy had been through, she thought that they deserved a break.

Entering the library, she dug out the old books in her bag and placed them on the long wooden desk. The librarian working on the computer gave an acknowledging nod and continued with her work.

Making her way through the bookshelves, Annabeth searched for the correct ones: _Foundation and Structure, Engineering 4_ _th_ _addition, and Advanced Physics._

She grabbed them all quickly and headed back to the counter. A teenage boy in a blue hoodie was leaning against the desk right beside it, his head buried in a book. Annabeth noticed a few other kids as well as she walked straight to the librarian.

"Can I get these books?" she asked placing them on the counter. The librarian, who – as Annabeth noticed – also had grey eyes, said.

"Sure, just hold a second." She went into the back, though Annabeth wasn't completely sure why. She leaned against the desk and waited.

Maybe if she could finish the assignment fast enough, she could spend the evening with Percy. It might make it up for the last week or so. Someone bumped into her, abruptly interrupting her thoughts. A small flare of frustration rose up in her. _Did anyone watch were they were going?_

"Oops," muttered a small voice. "My bad, sorry." Annabeth calmed herself best she could.

"It's okay," she said. But for some reason, the contact didn't end. She felt arms wrap themselves around her waist.

"Are you sure?" whispered a familiar voice in her ear. "I did mess up pretty badly right there." Annabeth felt a rush up her stomach. The smell of the ocean seemed to do that to her nowadays, it always reminded her of him.

Turing around she said, "I'm perfectly sure." He smiled for a second before kissing her. Annabeth felt herself tingle when it ended. It must have been awhile.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"What do you think?" he said. She raised an eyebrow. There was more to this than just homework.

"All right," Percy said. "Maybe I was waiting for you. I thought we could go get something to eat." Annabeth smiled. This was the answer she had been waiting for.

"Sure," she said. "Just as soon as I drop these books off at my dorm." The librarian came back in and scanned her books.

"Here you go," she said warmly, handing them back to Annabeth. "Have a nice evening." The way she said it made Annabeth wonder if she did know what was going on this evening.

"Thanks," she said stuffing them in her backpack. Percy picked up her bag.

"So what did you have in mind?" she asked. Percy strapped the backpack to his shoulders.

"Frank and I went to this really nice place today," he said. "I was thinking we could go there."

"Was this _during_ a lecture?" asked Annabeth. It wouldn't have been the first time he skipped one. Even though she preferred him to take his studies more seriously.

"No," said Percy. "Just… during study hall." Annabeth had a brief second of thought, and then intertwined her hand with his. She didn't want to involve school at the moment.

"Well, if it good enough to skip study hall for, then let's go."

Annabeth followed Percy out of her dorm and into the street. Demigods were bustling about, mostly young adults. The sky was darkening and the torches were being lit. She gripped Percy's hand and asked, "So, what is this place called?"

"Pottage," Percy replied. "I'm pretty sure that's all they serve." Annabeth thought for a minute, but she didn't really know about Roman foods.

"It's like a stew," he explained. "With all sorts of meat and vegetables in it."

"Sounds good." An awkward silence followed, though Annabeth was used to that.

"So, Frank and I were talking about the legion," Percy started slowly. Annabeth had a guess why. When he was nervous, he always talked slow.

"And?" she asked, edging him on.

"We were talking about all the new demigods coming in," he went on. "And how its important that they have the training they need…"

"Mhhhm," Annabeth agreed. She thought it was funny how Percy tried to dodge the obvious because he wasn't sure what she would say.

"And he asked me – I mean, _we_ – if we could go and help out… You know, for training demigods–" Annabeth stopped him before he could ramble on any more.

"Frank wants _us_ to go to the barracks and help train demigods," she said, spelling out in a full sentence on what Percy was getting at.

"Yeah," he said. "I mean, I didn't give him an answer or anything, but…"

"Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said dropping his hand and stopping short. "It's okay." Percy's face relaxed a bit.

"What do you think?" he asked. Annabeth wasn't entirely sure what to think, which was surprising for her. She usually had an answer for most things.

They had spent the last few months adjusting to New Rome and how different it was from Camp Half-Blood. In New Rome, they didn't have to be councilors, instructors, or any type of leader. They could just live their lives in their own way. Being with each other without worries.

"It's a great idea," she said carefully. Percy's face went into anxiety.

"You don't like it," he said. "It's okay, I wasn't too keen on it either." _Now that's a lie,_ thought Annabeth.

"No, I _do_ like the idea," she said. "We should go there some time. It would be fun to get back into that, slowly though." Percy clasped her hand again.

"Slowly," he concluded. She gave a reassuring smile.

Percy POV:

The date went well, in his opinion. But it was different somehow, although there was nothing different at the same time. They sat down and had dinner, and talked, petty much what people did on a date.

But he could tell Annabeth's mind was elsewhere. She would often stare into the distance as he talked, and then snap in suddenly with an _hhm?_

Percy knew it happened sometimes, but it always bothered him nonetheless. School was good and all, but he didn't want it to interfere. He also knew she liked it, a lot. When he asked about what she was doing in her classes, she would pretty much re-explain the entire lecture. And that really got him confused.

By the end, Percy felt a little left out. He didn't really want to spell it all out to her, because she might start panicking. But he didn't know how to approach it at the same time.

When he dropped her off at her dorm, they had a quick moment of silence before he said, "So you want to do this again soon?" Annabeth bit her bottom lip, which Percy concluded as a no.

"Percy, I would love too but with midterms and all…" He felt a small stab of hurt, but instead replied.

"Okay, sure." He embraced her and kissed her forehead. They held each other for a while and Percy didn't really want to let go.

"Goodnight Wise Girl," he whispered.

"Goodnight Seaweed Brain," Annabeth replied letting go. "I'll see you tomorrow hopefully." She turned and went into her dorm. Percy stood in front of the door for a long time before walking to his.

Annabeth POV:

At the moment, she didn't know whether to feel good or bad about the date. It seemed to be neither. She had a lot on her mind, with all her studying to do, it was hard for her to see Percy at all. He seemed to be okay with it, as far as she could tell.

When they had got to her dorm and he asked her about doing it again, her mind split into two parts. Her rational side wanted to immediately say _no._ But at the same time, she knew he needed it. Biting her lip, she tried to brace for the collision.

"Percy, I would love too, but with midterms and all…" She dropped her head, not wanting to see the disappointment in his face. Hearing the tone of his voice was nearly just as bad.

"Okay… sure…" She felt his arms wrap around her and she hugged him back. He felt reassuring and comforting. Annabeth wanted to expel all her feelings in to the hug and tell him that everything was going to be okay.

"Goodnight Wise Girl," came the soft whisper.

"Goodnight Seaweed Brain," she replied, using their old nicknames. Before Percy could say anything else, she turned and walked into the dorm. Shutting the door, she leaned against it. She hated telling him that, it made it seem like she didn't want him anymore. But she did, Percy was something she couldn't live without. But after evenings like this… it seemed different.

 _This wasn't how I wanted it,_ she thought miserably. The afternoon had seemed a lot better than this.

Walking over to her bed, she looked over all the books sitting on it. Reading and learning immersed her like nothing else. _Was it drawing her away from him?_

 _Stop it,_ she thought. _You're just torturing yourself._ Sliding the books off the bed, she laid down and eventually fell asleep.

 **Hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Please: follow, favourite, and review! I appreciate anyones feedback!**

 **\- Ruddin**


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